A comparison of albino and wild rats in shuttlebox avoidance

Grooming behaviors were closely aligned with the transition from escape to avoidance learning for the albino but not for the wild rats, although the difference was not significant over all trials.

Abstract

Two groups of 10 Norway rats, one of Sprague-Dawley and one of wild F1 stock, were run in a two-way shuttlebox with one chamber always associated with a 180 sec ITI and the other with a 30 sec ITI. Results: (a) The wild Ss tended to avoid more quickly, although the difference was not significant over all trials. (b) The proportion of avoidances toward the chamber associated with the long ITI was significantly greater for both groups. (c) Grooming behaviors were closely aligned with the transition from escape to avoidance learning for the albino but not for the wild rats.